


Second Chance

by hubdub15



Series: Off the Court [3]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Angst, Fingering, Healing, OC has past relationship trauma, OC has trust issues, Rough Sex, Semi-Public Sex, Smut, Unprotected Sex, Vaginal Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-16
Updated: 2021-01-16
Packaged: 2021-03-13 23:54:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,096
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28786782
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hubdub15/pseuds/hubdub15
Summary: Nozomi has worked hard to protect herself after her past relationship ended, but all that work is futile the moment a tall, dark-haired (and very drunk) stranger stumbles into the bar.
Relationships: Bokuto Koutarou/Original Female Character(s), Kuroo Tetsurou/Original Female Character(s), Ukai Keishin/Original Female Character(s), Ushijima Wakatoshi/Original Female Characters
Series: Off the Court [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2033155
Kudos: 1





	Second Chance

**Author's Note:**

> This is part of my series Off the Court. All the stories exist in the same universe and are connected, but they are meant to stand alone. You do not have to read all of them to understand each individual plot. Reading them all does make for a great experience though!

_ Please note, this chapter is much longer than my previous works for Off the Court. If you need to take a break, I've added good stopping points so the flow of the story isn't interrupted. _

_ Song Recs: _

_ willow - Taylor Swift _

_ Butterflies - Kacey Musgraves _

* * *

“You need to stop calling me.” 

Kuroo blinked at Hisami after she spoke. Her face was serious, staring at him across the table at a restaurant she had chosen when she had finally picked up the phone on one of his calls. After the disaster of having to listen to her and Ushijima, he knew he had to work harder to try to win her back. He hadn’t gone as far to bother her at work or try to track her movements, but he had texted her every few days, trying to get her to respond. When that didn’t work, he started calling her. Eventually it had worked, and he was now meeting with her, though she looked even less enthused than she sounded when they spoke on the phone. 

“It’s causing unnecessary stress in my life, in my relationship. I don’t want that.” She continued when he didn’t speak. 

“I thought someone as important as Ushiwaka wouldn’t get jealous so easily.” Kuroo couldn’t help but sneer. He hated even saying the man’s name now that he knew he had captured Hisami, by some miracle. 

“He’s not. You’re causing me stress. And that’s putting a strain on our relationship because he wants nothing more than to beat the shit out of you, but he can’t because I won’t let him.” She narrowed her eyes at him when he smirked. “Don’t take it the wrong way. It’s not for your benefit. I don’t want him to ruin his career because you can’t take no for an answer.”

“Ch—” The words died on his lips as Hisami’s eyes narrowed at him. He let out a weak sigh. “Itō-chan. I know I messed up before, but I still think we can work it out. Please, just give me a chance. I love you.”

Hisami’s jaw tightened at his words, her eyes squeezing shut. “Do you realize how long I waited for you to say those words?” Before his hopes got too high, she looked up and pierced him with shining brown eyes. “Too long. Any chance we might have had at surviving died at that train station. I knew then I was never going to be important enough in your life that you would put me first. I was just a convenience. Nothing you can say will change that, because it’s the truth.”

“It’s not true.” Kuroo reached across the table and grabbed Hisami’s hand desperately. She was slipping through his fingers, it was all he could do to hold on tighter in any way he could. “You know that’s not true. Please, Hisami.”

A clattering from across the room caused Kuroo to look toward the noise. Ushijima was half-out of his chair at a table on the other side of the restaurant, his gaze fixed on Kuroo ready to spring into action if he made another move towards the woman opposite him. Kuroo dropped her hand and leaned back in his chair while Hisami raised her hand and waved him off. She looked slightly annoyed, but her face returned to neutral when she turned back to Kuroo.

Something shiny flashed on Hisami’s hand as she moved it. Now that it caught his eye, he couldn’t help staring at the large emerald sitting on her finger.  _ That fucker proposed. Of course he did. It really is over.  _

“Are you afraid of me now?” Kuroo asked quietly. “You had to bring him?”

“That’s not it.” Hisami sighed. “I didn’t know he was here, honestly. I came by myself.”

They fell into an uneasy silence. Hisami sipped the tea in front of her, still not making direct eye contact with Kuroo unless necessary. The way she shifted, how she couldn’t keep still. She was uncomfortable.  _ He  _ made her uncomfortable. 

“Please.” She finally whispered. “Please, if you ever really cared about me, let me be happy and leave me alone.” 

Without another word, she stood from the table and walked over to Ushijima, who at least had the decency to look slightly guilty for spying on his fiancée. She shook her head at him and took his hand, leading them both outside. Through the picture window, Kuroo locked eyes with Ushijima who was decent enough to nod to him before pulling Hisami tightly to his side, holding her close while they disappeared out of sight. 

_ I need a drink _ .

* * *

It just had to be tonight. Out of all nights, when it should have been quiet and she should have been able to close early, it now looked like she was going to be here up until last call, courtesy of a man sitting at the end of the bar, knocking back whiskey like it was his job. This was his fifth, and as soon as he downed it, he raised his glass to signal he wanted another. She noticed he had been stumbling when he entered the bar, there was no doubt he was beyond drunk now. She heaved a deep sigh. The “you’re cut off” discussion was never fun to have, especially when the customers got belligerent. Hopefully he wouldn’t be the same way. 

He picked his head up as she approached and gave her a dopey smile. Wordlessly, he held his glass out. She rolled her eyes and took it from his hand to set it beside them. 

“I can’t give you any more.” She told him calmly. “I can get you water, but you have to sober up.”

“Whiskey.” He told her as if her words had gone in one ear and out the other. “Neat. Double.”

“Look, I already told you, I can’t give you any more.” Nozomi told the drunk man. “It’s against our policy and it’s against my own conscience. You’re absolutely trashed.” He didn’t seem to pay attention to her as he slumped against the wooden surface of the bar with both arms folded above his head. 

“Why did she choose him?” The dark-haired man asked, albeit very slurred, apparently forgetting that she hadn’t given him his requested alcohol. 

“I can’t tell you.” Nozomi turned her back and continued refilling bottles behind the bar. If she ignored him, maybe he would go away. The forlorn exes were always the worst to talk to. Not only did they never shut up, they reminded her of some of the lowest points in her life as well. She didn’t like the refresher. 

“I loved her. I still love her. Why can’t she see that?” No luck. 

“Well, did you tell her?” 

Nozomi shouldn’t have asked. That launched the drunk man into a soliloquy that lasted the three remaining hours of Nozomi’s shift. She hoped he would get the hint that she wasn’t really listening from the unattached grunts and the occasional “oh, yeah” she would deliver, but he continued. She gathered that he and this girl had dated in high school, that he had a crush on her since middle school, but he had broken up with her before he went to college so she wouldn’t sit around waiting for him. Nozomi almost rolled her eyes at that, but she resisted the urge. Now, she was engaged to someone else and the drunk man couldn’t deal. 

She let him ramble about different stories and various colorful expletive-filled rants about her new fiancé until he was the only customer in the bar. Nozomi looked to the clock after she had completed all of her closing tasks she could with him still inside, minus wiping down the bar. She still had to count cash. It could be done in the morning, but it was just one extra thing that needed to be done on what would be an already long list. She didn’t want to put that on Kanna. 

“It’s past close. I can’t open the register until you leave.” She interrupted his diatribe to speak. “Do you have someone you can call? What about Owl Boy?” Nozomi remembered one of the nicknames he had mentioned during his monologue. 

“No. He’s probably dicking his girlfriend down right now. Happy little fuck. I hate him.” Drunk Man grumbled, pulling out his phone. 

“You just spent twenty minutes out of your rant dedicated to how much you loved Owl Boy.”

“I can still hate him too. He’s my best friend, it’s in the description.” Drunk Man frowned at her. He looked back at his phone, then chuckled. “It’s dead.” He told her and showed her the black screen. She almost took it and threw it across the bar. She hated drunks. This was the last thing she needed tonight. She’d already had a rough week, she just wanted to go upstairs and cuddle with her dogs while watching a murder mystery marathon. It looked more and more like she was going to have to take care of this sorry sop instead. 

“And I’m guessing you’re too drunk to remember any phone numbers to use our phone.” She frowned. “Or your address?”

Drunk Man laughed again and rested his head against the bar. “Nope.”

“Of course you don’t.” Nozomi grumbled. She considered her options. She could call a cab, but he didn’t remember his address and she wasn’t about to go fishing for his wallet. Who’s to say he wouldn’t be mugged on the way there, or if they would take them to his intended destination at all? They could also charge his phone, but that would mean having to wait even longer in the bar with him, and her dogs needed to be fed. No desirable options but one. “Are you a murderer?”

“What?” He picked his head up and looked at her with bleary eyes. If they weren’t clouded by the haze of alcohol, she might have considered the golden brown pools pretty. Right now, they just reminded her of the burden with which she had just been saddled. 

“Are you a murderer.” Nozomi repeated. “Or a rapist?”

“No.” Drunk Man frowned. “I’m not a criminal.”

“Good enough.” Nozomi walked out from behind the bar and helped the Drunk Man to his feet. She started to guide him to the door, careful not to throw him into any sharp corners no matter how much she wanted to. 

“Are you dumping me outside?” He slurred. Even with help, he was stumbling over his own two feet while walking. 

“I’m taking you up to my apartment. There’s a spare bedroom you can sleep in. But I have a lot of knives up there and two very large dogs, so don’t try anything.” She managed to get him out of the bar and up the side stairs to the apartment above without them both falling down. 

“You have dogs?” He immediately perked up and continued jabbering as they walked. “I love dogs. I wanted a dog but my apartment won’t let me have them. I have a cat though. His name is Kozu.”

“Good for you.” She propped him beside her door and started digging for her keys. “Now stay there and don’t move.” 

Once she finally got the door unlocked, she grabbed Drunk Man again and helped him inside, ordering her dogs back to give him some room as she laid him on the ground just inside the door. Her arms were tired, she couldn’t carry him any further. “Don’t die until I get back.” He raised one thumb in acknowledgement before dropping it back down next to him. Dai, the larger of the two, started to investigate the new visitor while Taro looked at her like she was a crazy person for dropping a stranger into the middle of their apartment. 

Nozomi shook her head at Drunk Man and went back downstairs, finishing the rest of her closing tasks before running back up the stairs to make sure he hadn’t died in a puddle of his own vomit. When she got into the apartment, he was sitting up with his arms around both dogs, cooing to them like babies while he tried to give both equal affection. She could honestly say she was shocked. Dai liked almost everyone, but Taro was the textbook definition of a one-man dog. If the person wasn’t Nozomi, he didn’t want anything to do with them. But he was sitting right next to Drunk Man, begging for pets just like any normal dog. He must have special powers. 

“Okay, back up.” She ordered, helping Drunk Man off the floor and leading him into the spare bedroom. “Sorry about making you wait, I had to close up.”

“‘S okay.” He garbled out. “I like your dogs.”

“They seem to like you too.” Nozomi helped him take off his shoes and belt before easing him into bed, making no sudden movements so he wouldn’t puke. Drunk Man watched her closely while she worked. His unblinking golden-brown stare unnerved her slightly. She didn’t like being looked at, there wasn’t anything there to see. He found something interesting about her interesting though. Probably her tattoos. She helped him lie down in bed on his side so he wouldn’t aspirate if he vomited before stepping back. 

“You’re pretty.” He told her, breaking the silence. 

“Thank you.” She said flatly. It wasn’t uncommon to hear that from the drunks when she worked. She was desensitized to it now. “Do you need water?”

He shook his head and burrowed deeper into the covers. “Comfy.” He murmured. 

“The bathroom is through that door there, if you need to puke. There’s also a bucket by the bed. Please don’t do it on the floor, I just cleaned them yesterday.”

He nodded seriously before smiling hazily again. “Thank you.”

“Good night.” She answered, leaving the room and closing the door behind her. She considered leaving it open to make sure he didn’t die in the middle of the night, but if she did the dogs would more than likely bother him and wake him up through the night. Her dark side said he deserved it, but he desperately needed to sleep off his hangover. The faster he sobered up, the faster he could be out of her apartment and she would never have to see him again. She was too nice for her own good. 

The next morning, she woke up early to go on her daily run with the dogs before returning to the apartment. She wasn’t worried about leaving Drunk Man in the apartment alone. With the size of his hangover, he definitely would not be up before she was at six a.m, and the door had a lock from the outside since the apartment used to be storage for the bar before Kanna’s father renovated it several years ago. He wouldn’t be able to get out until she got back either way. 

It was another several hours, almost until her shift at the bar started when she finally heard rumblings coming from the guest bedroom. She looked up from her spot at the stove and saw the dogs come out of the spare bedroom, having snuck in when her back was turned, followed a few moments later by Drunk Man, rubbing at his bleary eyes as he shuffled towards her. 

“Good morning. Are you hungry?” Nozomi didn’t wait for him to answer before setting a bowl of sausage and over-easy eggs on the counter near him. “Grease helps hangovers.”

He stared at her for a few moments as if he were trying to remember who she was. “Where am I?” He finally asked. 

“In my apartment above the bar.” She explained. “You were severely drunk last night. I’m not sure how much you remember.”

“Not much.” He admitted while he sat down and looked at the food in front of him. “Why is it in a bowl?”

“I don’t own any plates.” She shrugged. “It’s just me, so there’s not really a need. I haven’t had the time to go get any. Sorry if the dogs bothered you this morning, the big one knows how to open doors.” 

He looked down at the two dogs now parked at his feet hoping for any scraps of food. “They’re both big.”

“The black one.” She clarified, referring to Dai. “I charged your phone for you, it was going off a few times this morning. It’s over by the couch. If you need to shower, there are clean towels in the bathroom. I don’t have a washer and dryer though, so I can’t wash your clothes.”

“Thanks.” He mumbled. “I didn’t embarrass myself too much last night, did I?”

“Not horribly. I’ve seen worse. But then again, I’m a bartender.” She handed him a cup of coffee. “You mostly just ranted about your ex. That’s far from unordinary.”

“Oh my god.” He muttered. He placed his forehead on the counter and let out a long groan. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”

“You’re not the first, you certainly won’t be the last.” She assured him.

“It’s still embarrassing.” He took a few bites of food before pushing it away. “It’s good. I feel nauseous though, I can’t eat any more.”

“You did drink almost an entire bottle of whisky last night.” She reminded him. “Do you need to use the bathroom?”

“No, I think I’ll just head out.” Drunk Man stood and walked over to the couch to grab his phone. “Thank you for taking care of me. I’d probably be frozen somewhere if you hadn’t.”

“It’s not a problem.” She walked him towards the front door and smiled up at him slightly. “Just don’t pass out on the train home.”

“Trust me, I think I’m wide awake now. And severely hungover.” He added with a small smile in return. “I’m Kuroo, by the way. Kuroo Tetsurō.”

Nozomi’s stomach dropped to the floor.  _ Kuroo Tetsurō?  _ That  _ Kuroo Tetsurō?  _ She looked him up and down again. The only descriptor she remembered from the stories Hisami and Kanna had told her was that he had rooster-like black hair. Her eyes darted to his hair quickly. It was a little flatter this morning, but his spiky hair had been one of the first things she’d noticed about him in the bar the night before. This couldn’t be happening. Kanna was going to kill her. But he didn’t seem like the monster she painted him to be. He was actually nice. At least to Nozomi, anyway. Why did Kanna hate him so much?

“Try to sleep it off. You’ll need it.” She managed to say after recovering from her initial shock. 

“Yeah.” He rubbed the back of his head and looked embarrassed. “Thanks again.”

She didn’t have time to process what she just learned as she watched him disappear before she had to get dressed and run downstairs to open the bar. She let the dogs come with her since it was never too busy early in the day where they would be underfoot. She finished her opening tasks as well as some of the closing tasks she had put off since Kuroo had stayed over. Kanna and one of the servers arrived a few minutes before opening allowing her the chance to sit down at a table near the back to take a breath. 

Nozomi considered telling Kanna what happened the night before, beginning to stand to walk to the kitchen where she was helping the cooks get ready for the evening. She stopped at the door, considering the repercussions. Kanna would most definitely freak out when Nozomi told her she had not only let a customer, but Kuroo Tetsurō sleep over. Nozomi was sure Kanna would not see it as a Good Samaritan gesture. She’d probably lose it knowing Kuroo was even in her bar. 

“Where the hell were you this morning?” Nozomi looked up to see her friend and tattoo-artist Rei staring her down with fire in her eyes, her younger sister Yuna standing behind her giving Nozomi a small wave. She hadn’t even noticed the bar was open and a few customers were already inside, including the long black-and-blue haired beauty before her. Looking at the pair, you never would have guessed the two were sisters. Rei had tattoos covering all of her right arm and part of her left, as well as some kanji on her neck and a piece on her thigh concealed by the pants she wore. Yuna on the other hand was the perfect representation of what every upper-class Tokyo family wanted their daughter to be—poised and put-together, wearing a skirt set that her mother had undoubtedly bought for her. On the off-chance Nozomi ever saw Yuna in casual clothes, she opted for sweatpants and oversized t-shirts. 

“After all the times I’ve complained to you, you not only no-show, you no-call too. What happened?” Rei continued when Nozomi didn’t respond. 

“Something came up and I forgot to call you.” Nozomi remained vague on purpose to avoid questions. “I’m sorry.”

Rei grumbled and sat in front of Nozomi with her tablet. “Go sit over there.” She told her younger sister. 

“Why can’t I just go back to my apartment until you’re done?” Yuna complained.

“Because I’m not dragging my ass across Tokyo to go pick you up just to come back to this neighborhood to eat.” Rei snapped back. “Go sit.”

Yuna rolled her eyes and stomped off to go sit in one of the booths. Rei pressed her fingers into her eyes and groaned. 

“She’s somehow being a pain in my ass and a thorn in my side simultaneously, which is a feat for her.” Rei frowned. “I’m already stressed with Teruko calling me every five minutes about her fucking wedding.”

“Families are great.” Nozomi smiled. 

“Don’t start with me. Not everyone can have a Kanna as a relative. I have a Queen Bitch mother and all her sycophants ready to flay me alive just for being within a twenty mile radius of the city limits.” Rei complained. “And now I have Little Miss Pouty over there acting like a brat because she’s hangry.” 

“Ukai’s rubbing off on you!” Yuna called from across the room. 

“I said sit and  _ be quiet _ .” Rei turned around to glare at her sister. Turning back to Nozomi with a huff, she rolled her eyes. “Do you have fries or something she can eat while we talk?”

“Can I get an order of fries?” Nozomi yelled in the general direction of the kitchen so they could hear her. “There. Now, why are you here?”

“Well, since you deliberately decided to miss our meeting this morning to review your design, I decided to come here instead.”

“We could have rescheduled for later today.”

“I don’t have time later today, I have another client coming in to finish shading that’s going to take the rest of the afternoon. And I’m taking Yuna to lunch. So if I have to delay going back home and see my husband because of you, I will rip the tattoo off your body and use it as new wall art.” Rei threatened. “Now, the design is already done. Let’s talk coloring, we can work on line work when you come in later this week.”

“Don’t you think that’s too much black?” Yuna asked, appearing behind Rei’s shoulder silently.

“If you think you could do so much better, go ahead.” Rei pushed her tablet toward her younger sister. “So why did you no-show this morning? You don’t normally miss meetings unless it’s important.”

“I was kind of busy this morning.” Nozomi didn’t want to tell Rei what exactly had happened. She knew she would read too far into it. For some reason, Rei was obsessed with pairing Nozomi off. And she definitely didn’t want to tell Rei that the man in question was Kuroo. She wasn’t sure how much Rei knew about the situation, but she had a tendency or getting loud when she was excited, and if she spoke his name too loud Kanna would definitely hear it and have questions Nozomi couldn’t answer. 

“Wow, so descriptive.” Rei stopped from showing her sister how to use the drawing software to look at her. “Did you get laid?”

“No!”

“Who got laid?” Kanna picked the exact worst moment to appear at their table, holding the plate of fries Nozomi had requested. She set it down in front of Yuna and crossed her arms to listen.

“Nozomi got laid!” Rei crowed. 

“I did not!”

“It better not have been in this bar, because if you did, I will kill you.” Kanna warned. “No amount of bleach will erase that. From the bar top or from my mind.”

“I did  _ not get laid _ .” Nozomi emphasized. 

“Liar.” 

“Will you shut up?” She snapped at Rei. “I did not get laid. I let a customer spend the night at my apartment because he was absolutely trashed and couldn’t get home safely.”

“You let a customer into your apartment?!” Kanna looked incredulous. “He could have killed you!”

“Says the girl who let Bokuto spend the night when they had only gone on two official dates and moved in with him less than a month later.” 

Kanna stopped for a moment, then took some dirty glasses from a table nearby in her hands. “I’m never telling you anything ever again.” She grumbled before disappearing back into the kitchen. 

“How are she and Bokuto by the way?” Rei asked when Kanna was gone. 

“Disgustingly sweet and happy.” Nozomi answered. “Ask her yourself.”

“No time.” Rei looked over her sister’s shoulder. “Hey, that’s actually really good. What do you think?” She took the tablet from her sister’s hands, ignoring the younger girl’s protests to turn it towards Nozomi. It was similar to what they had discussed before, the upper half of a woman, framed by a Gothic-style stained glass window. Before, Rei had the woman as a darkened silhouette, but Yuna had redrawn her completely, sketching a veiled woman with a crown of roses. The woman’s profile was obscured by the veil, but you could just see the outline of her nose, eyes, and a little of her lips from underneath the veil. One hand rested near the woman’s chin, as if propping her head up, fingers resting gently on her cheek. 

“Yuna, this is amazing!” Nozomi couldn’t help but exclaim. “How did you do this in just a few minutes? Rei, could you do this?”

“Hell yeah I could do this. This is fantastic. I love the crown.” Rei grinned at Yuna. 

“Roses are your favorite.” Yuna added quietly. 

“They are.” Rei nodded. 

“I should know.” Nozomi lifted her long-sleeved shirt to show off the half-sleeve of roses on her forearm. “Speaking of, I want to continue this one too.”

“Slow down, one at a time. I’m not a machine.” Rei stuffed her tablet in her bag and hopped to the floor. “Come on, Yunnie, let’s go eat. I’ll send you the final later.”

With a few quick goodbyes, the two sisters were gone, leaving Nozomi to fall into the familiar routine of helping customers behind the bar. She was left alone for the better part of the evening as Kanna had to finish payroll in the back, there were never enough people in the bar late Wednesday night to warrant another bartender or a server. 

She was grateful her cousin was able to get her this job when she moved to Tokyo. She hadn’t been able to go to college, so her job options in the large city were limited. Kanna probably would have made her take the job even if she hadn’t asked for help. The bar had been in Kanna’s father’s family for generations and was something of a local landmark in their area of Tokyo. When he had wanted to retire, his only child Kanna was the obvious choice. Did she need another bartender? Probably not. But Kanna wouldn’t take no for an answer. It was the first time she was happy with Kanna telling her what to do. Nozomi was worried about finding a job to pay rent for her tiny apartment, but even then, Kanna had stepped in and insisted she live in the apartment above the bar almost rent free. It was straight nepotism, but Nozomi wasn’t going to complain. 

Close to closing, the bell above the door jingled happily to signal another person had entered. She looked to the door and saw Kanna’s boyfriend had entered, looking slightly disappointed when he scanned the bar and didn’t immediately see her. 

“Hi Bokuto.” Nozomi didn’t bother looking up from wiping down the bar as he approached. “Kanna’s still getting everything together in the back. And for the last time, you’re not allowed back there!” She added with a slight yell when Bokuto tried going behind the counter to get into the bar’s small kitchen. He pouted and sat on an empty barstool, taking the glass of Sprite Nozomi offered with a word of thanks. 

“Any weirdos today?” He asked to make some form of conversation. 

“Not too many. Just the regulars.” Nozomi shrugged.

Bokuto looked like he was about to respond, but his attention was quickly diverted when Kanna emerged from the back, smiling like seeing Bokuto was such a big surprise even though he walked her home every time she had to work late. His grin was equally as wide at seeing her as he jumped out of his seat. They wordlessly gravitated toward the other and kissed softly when they met. They were so stupidly in love it was like something out of a romance movie. Something so innocent always seemed so intimate whenever those two did it. Nozomi felt she shouldn’t be in the room with them, let alone watch it. 

“Big night?” Nozomi finally spoke to stop them from canoodling in the middle of the bar. 

Kanna pulled away and smiled at Nozomi while Bokuto bent over and nuzzled his face into his girlfriend’s neck. “We’re going over to Hisami’s. Ushijima is gone for a few nights and she wanted some company.”

“Can’t we just go back to our place?” Bokuto whined. “I haven’t seen you all day.” 

“We spent the entire morning together. We’ll spend all night too. It’s just for a few hours.” Kanna assured him. “Besides, Hisami is really feeling down with Ushijima gone. We need to cheer her up.”

“Need some alcohol?” Nozomi piped in. 

“Hisami’s not drinking anymore. She and Ushijima are— ”

Kanna clapped a hand over Bokuto’s mouth before he could continue. “That’s not our business.”

“But Hisami told us.” Bokuto frowned. 

“That doesn’t mean we tell other people.” Kanna grabbed her boyfriend’s hand and started to pull him from the bar. “Have a good night, Zomi!”

They left before Nozomi could question Kanna what Bokuto had meant. It had admittedly been a while since she had actually spoken at length to Hisami, most of her information coming secondhand from her cousin. Maybe she could ask her about it when she saw her next. 

Just a few minutes later, the door to the bar opened again. She figured it was Kanna, since they had only left a little bit before. She usually was in a rush to go with Bokuto that she left things behind. 

“Did you forget your purse again?” Nozomi looked up and saw Drunk Man standing at the door, a small smile on his face. Her mouth suddenly went dry as he walked towards her. He looked far better than he had the night before. There wasn’t a hair out of place on his perfectly-spiked head, making her wonder if he took the time to style it every morning or if it was just naturally like that. The rumpled turtleneck and jeans he had been wearing the night before were replaced with a three-piece suit seen commonly on the businessmen that would come into the bar after working a long day downtown.  _ What does he do for a living if he can dress like that _ ?

“What are you doing here?” Nozomi asked before she thought. She tried not to frown. She had a tendency of having a resting bitch face. She had only really known him since that night she let him stay in her apartment, but from what she could tell, Kuroo was nice. Nothing like the monster Kanna had painted him to be. Kanna had a tendency to be overprotective, however. He had hurt Hisami in the past, so he was branded as persona non grata in Kanna’s book forever. Hopefully Kanna was wrong in this instant because Nozomi didn’t mind seeing him as much as some other patrons that came in. 

“I just wanted to come by and say thank you.” Kuroo walked up to the bar and set the box in his hands down. “You could have just left me outside to freeze.”

“I didn’t want to be done in for involuntary manslaughter.” She shrugged, making Kuroo laugh. 

“I think there’s more to it than that, but fair point.” She didn’t have the time to ask him what he meant by his statement because he was now pushing a box towards her. “I brought you these. As a thank-you gift.”

“What are they?” Nozomi was already grabbing the scissors kept near the cash register to open the box. She didn’t care if he was a monster, she liked presents. Opening the box, she lifted one black ceramic plate up and looked at Kuroo in confusion. “Plates?”

“You mentioned you didn’t have any plates this morning. I matched the bowls as best I could.” Kuroo looked sheepish. “I’m realizing this was probably a horrible idea.”

“No, it’s not.” She reassured him before he could pull the box away. “I like them. It’s what I would have picked out anyway. And now I don’t have to use a bowl to eat pizza. But you know, most people don’t buy gifts as a thank you. They just send a card.”

“Most people don’t let complete strangers into their apartments to make sure they stay safe.” He retorted. 

“Touché.” Nozomi smiled. “Thank you, for these.”

“You’re welcome. I’m glad it didn’t completely weird you out.” He started backing towards the door. “I know you close in a few minutes, I’ll leave you to it. Thank you, again.”

She tried to raise her voice to make him stop, but he was already gone. Her gaze turned back to the plates on the bar top, tracing the edge with her finger. “You’re welcome.”

She thought she was seeing things the next night. She was working on a serving shift after someone had called out instead of her usual place behind the bar. Going back to the bar to grab drinks for a table, she spotted Kuroo sitting at the end of the bar. He gave her a small wave and kept drinking his soda before leaving a few minutes later. The night after, he sat at the bar again, and the pattern followed for the week. She tried to ignore him and focus on her work, but she was drawn to him whenever he gave her that crooked smile. They started talking more with each passing day in between her other customers, mostly about their days, nothing too heavy. Nozomi didn’t want to get too deep into a conversation and let down her guard. By some matter of fate, Kanna had been gone every night Kuroo came in. She probably would have kicked him out the moment she saw him otherwise. 

At the end of the week, Nozomi looked across the room and saw Kuroo take his normal seat at the end of the bar. She hated to admit she was excited. It was easy talking to him, even though they had just met not a week before when he was piss-drunk. He was nothing like Kanna had described. He waved slightly when he caught her eye. She already had his usual whisky prepared and brought it to him before stepping back and putting her hands on her hips. 

“You’ve been coming in here almost every day for the past week. Are you sure you don’t have a drinking problem?” Nozomi asked. “I have regulars I don’t see as often as you.”

“No, I don’t have a drinking problem.” Kuroo smiled. “Maybe I’m just here for the conversation.”

“I doubt someone like you is so lonely they have to turn to their local bartender for interaction.”

“How would you know?” He studied his glass a little too intently. “Maybe I just wanted to come and see you.”

She didn’t falter when he lifted his gaze to meet hers. He had to be joking. She hoped staring at him long enough would make him give up the ruse and admit that he had been joking, but he continued to hold her gaze with his serious expression. Either he was being serious and had wanted to see a complete stranger, or he had a very good poker face. 

“Why?” She finally asked. 

He frowned at her reaction. “What do you mean, why?”

“Why would you want to spend time with me? I’m a complete stranger.”

“A stranger who showed me kindness when I was definitely not at my best.” Kuroo pointed out. “That says a lot about you. And from the moment I walked out of that bedroom and actually got a good look at you I thought you were stunning.”

“You’re sure that wasn’t just the hangover clouding your judgement?” She tried and failed to hide her smile. His words made her stomach flutter in a good way. She didn’t crave validation, but it was always nice to hear it, especially coming from an attractive man like him. She needed to get a grip, she was falling faster than she had anticipated. She didn’t want to get hurt again. 

“Positive.” Kuroo smirked. “Are you free tomorrow?”

“It’s my day off.” Nozomi didn’t know why she was telling him this. She would have kept that information to herself. Now she didn’t have an excuse to give him to back out of whatever he might want to ask her to do. But something deep inside was telling her to accept whatever he had to offer. Maybe it was the way he was looking at her, like he really did believe she was stunning. Or that she hadn’t seen someone look at her like that since her ex-boyfriend had fallen out of love with her and fallen into the arms of another. 

“Let’s go to a movie. Your pick.” His voice pulled her from her thoughts. 

“I’m not sure.”

“If you decide halfway through the date that you hate the movie or hate me, you can leave, no questions asked. Although I don’t think you will, I’m quite a catch, and you don’t seem like a quitter.” 

“Are you challenging me?”

“If I am?” He retorted. “What would you do about it?”

Nozomi considered his question for a moment. She could call him out and see his reaction, but she thought it would be more fun to take him up on his offer and “Fine. Seven o’clock, meet me at my apartment upstairs. There’s a movie theater a few blocks away. We can walk.”

“I have a car.”

“I don’t want to be stuck in a car with you. I still don’t know if you were lying about not being a serial killer.”

He laughed and she fought the urge to smile again. “I guess you’ll just have to see.” He downed the rest of his whisky and left, leaving her with warmth down to her toes.

_ I guess I will. _

* * *

Nozomi was still wary.

Their first date had gone better than she had expected, which wasn’t saying much because she had been expecting a dumpster fire. She was sure whatever chemistry they had was the result of alcohol and the bar’s ambiance. As soon as they left its confines, they would have absolutely nothing to talk about. Lucky for her, Kuroo was more of a talker than she was and carried most of the conversation the entire night, save when they were in the movie, but even then he would whisper things to her and earn harsh glares and shushing from the other patrons. She had hated the movie; some action flick that relied far too heavily on special effects to make up for the confusing storyline and lack of character development. She had just picked the first one she had seen on the marquee, and it seemed to make Kuroo happy when she said the title. She almost asked him if they could go halfway through, but when his hand found hers on the armrest, the movie became a lot more bearable. Especially when he leaned over to kiss her as the credits rolled.

They spent their second “date” at the bar, courtesy of two girls calling off ten minutes before the start of their shift. Kuroo hadn’t minded, he instead picked up food from the restaurant they were planning on going to and brought it to her, happy to eat with her between serving customers. Unluckily for them, Kanna was also working that night and almost had an aneurism when she saw him enter. After a long talk in the freezer, Nozomi was able to calm her down enough to not kick him out completely and allow her to explain.

“Just…stay safe.” Kanna had murmured. “Please.”

Not that she wasn’t doing that anyway. No matter how much she was enjoying her time with Kuroo, she still kept him at an arm’s length. When he asked her about her tattoos, she would lie and tell him they were just for fun, although almost all of them had a meaning behind them. She didn’t want to give him anything he could use against her later. She had made the same mistakes before, she wasn’t about to make them again. 

She’d allowed him to stay in her apartment again after their third date, where they had sex for the first time. Nozomi wished she could say it was wholly because she was attracted to Kuroo and wanted to be physically intimate with him  _ because  _ it was him, but she couldn’t lie to herself. She knew deep down, she was trying to fill a void she had felt ever since her last relationship had ended. Every moment shared with Kuroo, she could feel it filling, slowly but surely. But she was still lonely. Being intimate with him helped to stave off that insatiable pit in her being. It’s what caused her to jump feet-first into relationships, only to get burned later. She hoped this wouldn’t be the same way. He made her feel good, better than she ever had. And that was terrifying. 

A few months later, she was almost ready to admit she was in a relationship. They had never discussed it outright. Kuroo had tried to bring it up a few times, as far as Nozomi was able to recognize, but when she explained why she wasn’t ready to put a label on what they were due to her past relationship and how horribly it ended, he had agreed to drop the subject until she was ready. 

“Are you ready to go, Petal?” Kuroo asked, coming out of her bedroom after changing from his work clothes. He had started packing an extra set of clothes in his bag when he went to work to save the trouble of going home before visiting her at night. They were planning on going to a mall nearby to try out a new boba place Nozomi had heard about online. 

She still wasn’t sure where he got his nickname for her, not that she was complaining. It was probably something to do with the various flowers she had tattooed on her body. He’d started it out of the blue, and when she questioned him, he just shrugged and said it fit with no other explanation. No one else had given her a unique nickname before, not even her family. It made her feel special. It also made whatever was happening between them more permanent. She couldn’t bring herself to tell him to stop though, it made her warm every time she heard it. 

Nozomi nodded, taking his hand while he led her to the car. He took her hand again while they were driving, talking about their days and what their plans were for the weekend. It was comfortable. It was easy. She was happy. She was waiting for the other shoe to drop. 

“It’s quieter over here. I want to hear more about that customer from last night.” Kuroo gently guided her to a table near the edge of the food court. “Do you want your usual?” 

“That or whatever you’re having if they don’t make mine right.” She responded with a smirk. 

“Looks like I’m having taro milk tea today.” He grinned and kissed her cheek before maneuvering through the crowd of people toward the boba shop. She smiled to herself watching him walk away. Maybe she could allow herself to love him. He was good to her, he hadn’t given her any reason to distrust him. With how happy she was, she couldn’t help the pit in her stomach that refused to let her  _ be _ happy. Something was going to happen, she just knew it. It always did whenever things were going well, it’s just how her life went. It happened when her parents and grandparents died, it happened when her past boyfriend cheated on her, there was no stopping it. She lived her life waiting for everything to go wrong. 

She managed to distract herself while waiting for Kuroo to come back scrolling through her phone, checking various social media sites to see what others were up to. She noticed Mitsu had posted several pictures from her most recent shoot, where she teamed with the company of one of the boys Rei’s husband used to coach years ago. She looked stunning. Nozomi really needed to call her to see how she and Kazuo were doing. 

Looking up from her phone, she spotted Kuroo standing a few feet away from the boba shop with their drinks in hand. She started to get up to help him back to the table but froze in place when she saw who he was with. 

Hisami stood in front of Kuroo, smiling up easily while Kuroo grinned down at her. Whatever she had said, it made him laugh, and they started laughing together, ringing out over the din of the crowd in the food court. Hisami continued to speak as Kuroo looked down at her. His eyes were soft, a ghost of his previous laughter resting on his lips, the corners turning up slightly. He was in love.

Of course he was. Nozomi and Kuroo had met because he had wandered into the bar, piss drunk, complaining about how Hisami hadn’t chosen him and professing his love for her regardless. She hadn’t had the nerve to ask him how he felt when they started whatever was between them. She had assumed he still felt the same way, even if it might have been just a small part of him, but that was all that mattered. He still loved her. There was no point if Nozomi loved him, it would remain unreciprocated. He’d never look at her like that.

The knife in her heart twisted further as Hisami reached up and wrapped her arms around Kuroo’s neck, hugging tightly. He returned her hug carefully to not spill the drinks that were still in his hands but with no lack in tenderness. When she pulled back, her lips pressed to his cheek softly before smiling up one more time and walking away. His head turned to watch her walk away for a moment. Nozomi wished she could see what his expression was. Was it longing? 

She busied herself with putting on her coat and hat to attempt to control her emotions when he turned to walk back towards her. She refused to cry in front of him. She would not give him that power.

“Okay, I got the—what are you doing?” Kuroo asked, stopping by the table when he noticed Nozomi gathering her things. 

“I’m going home.” Her voice didn’t shake when she spoke. It was surprising, given how she was falling apart on the inside.

“But—

“I’ll take the bus. I have a long shift tomorrow.” Nozomi pulled her bag higher on her shoulder as she stood and turned on her heel, walking in the opposite direction of Kuroo, desperate to get away from him and look on his face before she started crying. She ignored his calls after her as he tried to get her to stop. She couldn’t be near him right now. What she had just seen was already playing on repeat in her mind, his presence would just cause her to spiral further. 

She managed to make it back to her apartment without breaking apart. She moved past her dogs and collapsed on the couch, immediately dialing Kanna’s number. Looking over towards the door, she noticed a small bouquet of flowers Kuroo had brought her last night on his way home from work. Suddenly, the feeling that the world was about to crash down on her was back in full force, reminding her of the gut-wrenching pain she had been ignoring ever since she left the mall. She pressed her hand to her mouth and squeezed her eyes shut to keep the tears at bay while the phone rang. When Kanna finally picked up, Nozomi didn’t give her the time to answer before she started to speak. 

“Can you come over?” She asked, taking several deep breaths to keep from crying on the phone before continuing. “I just don’t want to be alone right now.”

Kanna stayed silent for a moment before Nozomi heard the jangle of keys on the other end. “ _ I’ll be right there _ .”

She made it to Nozomi’s apartment in record time; she must have already been on her way to the bar when Nozomi had called. Nozomi managed to tell Kanna what happened through her tears, though she didn’t know how her cousin understood half of it. Her words sounded more like a dying whale than any known language. Kanna held her tight through it, stroking her hair and murmuring nothings until Nozomi finally calmed down. From the look on Kanna’s face, she knew she wanted nothing more than to leave Nozomi to go find Kuroo and most likely murder him, but she stayed with Nozomi, continuing to hold her hand while turning on the television for some kind of distraction. 

“Do you want me to call Hisami and see what happened?” Kanna offered. 

“No.” Nozomi answered quickly. “It wasn’t her fault, I don’t want to drag her into it.”

“Fair enough.” She nodded. “I still might, though.”

“Please don’t. She’d blame it on herself.” Nozomi watched as Kanna picked up her phone when it suddenly began to ring and frowned at the screen. She declined the call and placed it face-down next to her but not quick enough for Nozomi to miss Bokuto’s name and face. 

“Everything okay?” She asked in response to Kanna’s huff.

“We had a fight before he had to leave for his overseas game this morning.” Kanna sighed and ran her hand through her hair. “I don’t really want to talk to him right now.”

Her phone almost immediately began ringing again. Kanna silenced it and dropped her head back on the sofa. 

“What about?” Nozomi hoped she could help her talk through it. She hated seeing her cousin upset. And maybe hearing about her cousin’s problems would get her mind off of her own, at least for a little while. 

“He went out to lunch with one of the old managers from Fukurōdani and didn’t tell me.” Kanna picked at a thread on her jeans. “I told him I wasn’t comfortable with it, and he just kind of dismissed it. When I asked him if he wanted to go get food the day before he left, he told me he couldn’t. I figured it was volleyball stuff, but he went out with her again instead. When he told me I just kind of blew up at him. It got worse when he told me I was overreacting.” 

“He didn’t see anything wrong with that?” 

She shrugged. “It’s Bokuto. He doesn’t have a bad bone in his body, he probably just saw it as hanging out with an old friend. I know he didn’t do it maliciously, but it still made me upset. And he doesn’t understand why it made me upset.”

“Talking obviously didn’t help.” Nozomi pointed out. 

“It kind of deteriorated after he told me I was overreacting. He had to leave a few minutes later. We haven’t talked about it since. We both weren’t in the headspace to have a conversation like that.” 

Nozomi thought for several moments. “Maybe you should answer his call. Just to let him know you’re okay. Upset, but okay.”

“I will.” Kanna promised. “I just need some time to myself for right now.”

They spent the rest of their night sitting on the couch, watching reruns of old tv shows until they both passed out. When Nozomi awoke the next morning, she saw a large box next to her front door and knew Kanna had already gone through the apartment to remove any evidence Kuroo had ever set foot in there. She was thankful she now didn’t have to. She probably would have spent the entire day crying if she had.

Several days passed where Nozomi didn’t speak to Kuroo at all. She didn’t respond to anything he sent, going so far as screening her calls so she wouldn’t accidentally answer one from him. When she caught the sight of him entering the bar, she would disappear in the back until he finally left. Her coworkers were nice enough to do as she asked without any questions. She didn’t have to ask Kanna twice. Even though she was now dating Bokuto and Kuroo was one of his closest friends, he still remained one of her least favorite people because of what he did to Hisami. She was always more than happy to tell him to leave. 

It seemed like Kanna and Bokuto were having their own problems. When Bokuto usually left for games, Kanna usually spent almost all the time he was gone on her phone, texting or calling him almost constantly because they missed each other so much. This time, however, Kanna barely looked at her phone, and when she did happen to answer a call from him instead of ignoring it, she was only on the phone for a quick second before she hung up.

“Do you want to stay over for the night?” Nozomi offered to her a few days later. “We could order in. Or I could make ramen.”

“No, Bokuto comes home tonight. I should be there to see him.” Kanna sighed and continued weighing bottles. “I’m not looking forward to it though.”

“To seeing him?”

“No, I’m excited to see him.” Kanna quickly clarified. “I’m just not looking forward to the discussion we’re probably going to have to have.”

Nozomi looked to the front door of the bar when it opened and quickly tapped Kanna on the shoulder. “I think that conversation is going to happen sooner rather than later.” She whispered. 

“What?” Kanna frowned at her and turned around to see Bokuto standing at the bar, staring at her intently. He still had his travel bag slung over his shoulder, he must have just come from the plane. Nozomi couldn't recall when he looked so serious. He usually had a smirk on his face and a joke ready, but you would have never guessed it with how his brow was furrowed now. She wondered if she could hide in the stockroom until he left, she wasn’t keen on listening to their domestic dispute. 

“Can we talk?” Bokuto inclined his head toward the hallway leading to the back office. 

“I’m working right now. Can it wait until we get home?” Kanna frowned back. 

“Please?”

Kanna seemed to consider it for a moment before nodding and following him off the main floor towards the back office. Nozomi had a feeling they wouldn’t be out of there for a long time. Maybe she should just lock up and leave them here. Kanna obviously had a key, she could leave and let them do whatever they needed to do. 

The door to the bar opened as Nozomi was finishing stocking bottles for tomorrow. “I’m sorry, we’re closed.” She immediately answered. It was a weeknight, rarely anyone came in the last hour they were open; they had spent most of the night playing cards at the bar. 

“I’m not here for a drink.” She turned quickly, almost knocking several bottles of alcohol over at the familiar voice. Kuroo stood near the entrance to the bar, fixing her with his piercing eyes while he closed the door and locked it behind him. She had tried to push him from her mind the past few days, pretending he didn’t exist and he was never a major part of her life, but seeing him standing there brought back all her emotions, good and bad, swirling in her gut until she felt she was going to throw up. The longer she looked at him, the more the bad feelings overcame everything until all she could think about was the last time she saw him. She frowned at him and focused back on cleaning the bar. 

“We’re closed.” She repeated. “Get out.”

“I’m not leaving. You’ve been avoiding me for almost a week. Why? What did I do?” He walked closer to her while she backed closer to the end of the bar towards the back of the room. Her hand found the button beneath the bar that rang a bell in the back office. It wasn’t used very often, just when a customer was getting particularly belligerent or if one of the servers felt unsafe. It was a way for Kanna to know someone needed help without having to shout. 

“Won’t you at least talk to me and tell me what’s wrong?” Kuroo asked again when she remained silent. She almost cracked. He looked so distraught, eyes wide and pleading. His hand reached across the bar to hold her hand but she withdrew it quickly so they couldn’t touch. 

“Can you just leave?” Nozomi glared at him. “I have nothing to say to you.”

“What the fuck are you doing here?” They both turned and saw Kanna standing at the entrance to the back looking ready to breathe fire. She tried to walk towards Kuroo, most likely to force him out, but Bokuto appeared from behind and grabbed her wrist to stop her. 

“He’s just here to talk.” He interjected. Kanna’s brow lowered slightly, processing Bokuto’s words. She turned to face her boyfriend, who shrunk under her gaze. 

“How would you know that?” Kanna crossed her arms. “Were you in on this? Get me out of the bar so he could come in and ambush her?”

“This isn’t an ambush.” Kuroo argued. 

“You shut up.” Kanna glared at him before turning back to Bokuto. “Well?”

Bokuto looked at his feet and remained silent, shuffling on his feet. He glanced at Kuroo for a second and that was all the proof Kanna needed. 

“Unbelievable.” She scoffed and turned back to Kuroo. “I tried to give you the benefit of the doubt, but that ship has sailed. Get out of my bar before I call the cops.”

“Can you please give us a minute?” Kuroo frowned. 

“I’d love for you to try to get me to leave.” Kanna spat back.

“Come on, Kanna, give them some space.” Bokuto interjected. “This doesn’t include us.”

“If it’s happening in my bar, it does include me. And if it’s happening to my family, it includes me too.” Kanna snapped. She pushed Bokuto’s hand away when he tried to gently guide her out of the room by her waist. “Don’t touch me. I’m not going anywhere.”

“Please, Kanna. Let’s just go.” Bokuto almost begged. He glanced at Kuroo quickly, but not quickly enough that Kanna didn’t notice. She narrowed her eyes at her boyfriend and walked over to Nozomi, grabbing her wrist and pulling her close to whisper in her ear for a semblance of privacy. 

“Tell me to go, and I’ll go.” She murmured. “But I don’t like this, Zomi. I don’t trust him.”

“I’ll be fine.” Nozomi squeezed her hand. “I promise.”

Kanna looked over at Kuroo, narrowing her gaze as she surveyed him. When he didn’t waver, she let out a huff and turned back to her cousin. “If you need me, call.”

Nozomi nodded in agreement before Kanna stormed out through the kitchen, pushing Bokuto’s hands away when he tried to reach for her again. He looked at Kuroo with a helplessness etched on his countenance, torn between running after his girlfriend or staying to reassure his friend. When Kuroo nodded to him, Bokuto ran after Kanna, almost tripping over his own feet as he called after her to slow down.

With Kanna gone, Nozomi instantly felt her safety net gone. It was sink or swim now. With how her stomach was churning, she was ready to sink. 

Nozomi moved from behind the bar, keeping her eyes on Kuroo the entire time. She held up a hand to keep Kuroo from moving toward her as she passed him to lock the entrance to the bar. She took her time, pulling the blinds closed and waiting a few seconds after turning the lock to turn back to Kuroo. “What do you want?”

“I want you to tell me what’s wrong.” Kuroo responded immediately. “It was going so well, then you just disappear on me for no reason. I at least deserve an explanation.”

“I don’t think I need to give you an explanation.” Nozomi hugged her body trying to provide herself with some kind of armor. “It’s pretty clear anyway.”

“No, it’s not.” Kuroo ran a hand through his hair in frustration, mussing his spiky locks. “I’ve been going over everything that happened last week to see what I did wrong and I can’t come up with anything. So I need you to shed at least a little light on this.”

“Hisami.”

Kuroo stared at her for a few moments. She could see he was trying to make sense of what she had just said, which made her angrier as she waited for him to finally say something. He had to know exactly what she meant, playing stupid was just making her blood boil. “What about Hisami?”

“I saw you two together at the food court.” Nozomi tried to maintain her composure but the lump in her throat was getting harder to speak around. “You still love her.”

“What? No, I don’t. Why would you think that?”

“I don’t think, I know.” Nozomi continued. “The way you looked at her and hugged her. She’s special to you. I’ll never compare to her, or be as important. I won’t be first. I’m just a convenience.” 

Kuroo physically took a step back when she finished speaking as his eyes widened. Something in her words had shaken him to his core. He pinched the bridge of his nose and took several deep breaths. 

“What have I ever done to give you that impression?” His eyes were hard when he looked at her again. Nozomi started to open her mouth to respond, but Kuroo held up a hand to stop her. “I never brushed you off, never put myself above you, or disregarded your feelings. I want to be with you in any way that I can, tried to make you feel comfortable enough with me that you might one day want to be in an actual relationship. Why, why would you think I would do all that if I was in love with someone else?

“She was my first real girlfriend. There will always be a part of me that cares about her, but that chapter of my life is over. I don’t have feelings for her anymore, I realized that when I met you.” 

Nozomi resisted the urge to scoff when she could hear the sincerity in his voice. She knew exactly why she thought he would do that, even though he had been nothing but perfect to her. Her ex-boyfriend, the last person she had after her grandfather died, had destroyed her trust in any relationship working or anyone having true feelings for her. She gave him everything and he had repaid her faith in him by cheating, repeatedly. She had never expected him to do something so heinous, so the unexpected had become the expected in every possible relationship she had faced. Her trust in anything good happening had been shattered.

“Do you think I would hurt you like that?” He asked quietly in response to her silence. Nozomi didn’t back away when he came closer. She kept her gaze on the floor desperately trying to prevent her tears from falling, but it was no use. They ran freely down her cheeks, multiplying as Kuroo took her hands in his and squeezed while pulling her closer to him. A moment later, his large hands cupped her face like she would break at the slightest touch, which only caused another wave of tears to start. He was so gentle with her, so understanding. Tilting her head so she would look him in the eye again, he wiped the tears from her cheeks with the pads of his thumbs. She knew looking in his eyes she didn’t need to explain. He knew why she was like this, why she was broken. It didn’t need to be said. 

“Petal, I’m not him. I’ll never be him. I will always be by your side, if you let me.” He tilted his head forward so it rested against hers. “Please, let me.”

Her silent tears turned to audible crying as she bent her head, hiding her face in his shoulder. She wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him tightly. “I’m sorry.” She whispered. “I’m sorry I’m—

“Don’t finish that sentence.” He cut her off from above. “There is nothing wrong with you. Everything that’s happened to you has made you the woman I love. Never apologize for being you.”

“You love me?” She pulled back to look at him with shining eyes.

He smirked and pushed some hair behind her ear. His touch on her skin made her shiver. “I thought that was pretty obvious.”

“You’ve never said it before.” 

“I didn’t want to scare you away.” Kuroo leaned down so he was at eye-level with her. “You still haven’t answered me, though.”

She managed a small smile. “Yes, I’ll let you.” 

He grinned and pulled her tighter against him. “I wasn’t going to take no as an answer anyway.” 

She started to laugh but it was cut off with his mouth covering hers, kissing her deeply. Her laughter transformed into a moan as she wrapped her arms around his neck and tangled her fingers in his hair. She was lighter than she had been in years after his declaration. Instead of running from her pain, she had finally become whole and was healing with a man who truly loved her by her side instead of trying to escape and fill the void inside her any way she could. Kuroo was hers, and she could be with him because she wanted to, with no fear of him leaving.

“I love you.” She murmured against his lips when she had to pull back to breathe. 

Kuroo smiled against her lips while he guided them backwards until she felt her back hit the edge of the bar. “I love you too, petal.” He murmured before diving back in. His kiss was firmer this time, more insistent as his tongue explored her mouth. She could taste the cinnamon gum he was fond of chewing whenever he had something on his mind, the spice making her mouth burn slightly but she wanted more. Needed more. 

Jumping into his arms with as much grace as she could muster, she wrapped her arms around his neck while his large hands quickly grabbed for her thighs to support her. He stumbled slightly but righted himself with a quiet chuckle. “Eager.” He mumbled. 

“I could say the same for you.” She retorted, rolling her hips pointedly against his hardening cock through his dress slacks. She resisted the urge to moan openly at the friction against her throbbing cunt. Kuroo didn’t have the same restraint, letting out a groan and thrusting against her in response. Nozomi gasped when two of his fingers were suddenly at her entrance, dragging through the wetness to gather what they could before thrusting inside. She winced slightly at the burn, but it was welcome. She would need the stretch later when he finally put his cock in her. 

“We should go upstairs.” She panted into his shoulder as he continued the torturously slow assault on her insides prepping her for what was still to come. She was already wet enough, she was ready for him now. Usually Kuroo would drag out their lovemaking into a marathon that lasted all night, but something in the way he kissed her and how his hips already had a mind of their own made her think this wouldn’t last long once it started.

“No.” He growled into her neck. He pulled at the tight skirt she wore that night until it was resting over her hips. He found more trouble with her panties, unable to get them off completely while her legs were still wrapped around his waist. He growled at the difficulty and set her on the bar. He gripped the cotton seam of one side and ripped it open in one hard tug. She was lucky she didn’t wear an expensive pair today, she would have had to kill him after.

With the offensive garment out of the way, he quickly undid his belt and pulled his slacks and briefs down his legs until they rested just below his ass and his cock was free, hard and shining with precum. He grabbed her in the next movement before she could orient herself so she was back in his arms with her legs wrapped around his waist again. 

“I’m going to go fast.” Kuroo mouthed up her neck and sucked on her earlobe. “Is that okay?”

Nozomi was only able to nod as his cock slipped between her folds, gliding easily in the wetness as his hips moved in small motions back and forth. Every once in a while, the tip would just barely graze her hole and she would clench in the hope he would put it in any faster. This was torture, but telling him to hurry the fuck up would probably kill the moment. 

She was finally rewarded when he lifted her just enough to line himself up and sink into her slowly with a steady push of his hips. She bit her lip harshly at the burn of his thickness stretching her, but the discomfort faded quickly as he distracted her with another deep kiss until he was fully seated inside. She was reeling from the heady feeling of her kisses everywhere, her lips, her cheeks, her neck, her breasts, anywhere he could reach while she was in his arms. The feeling only compounding when he began to move slowly in and out, allowing her some time to get used to his cock inside before he would undoubtedly fuck her stupid. He was intoxicating, and it took everything in her not to lose herself completely in his touch. 

It was a dance they were both familiar with, but this time was different. She was finally willing to give herself entirely to Kuroo, broken pieces included. She wasn’t thinking of how to shield herself if things went south, reminding herself not to get too attached to him so if he did end up leaving she wouldn’t crumble to dust at the loss. He was here to stay, and she could fully enjoy this without her tumultuous thoughts making it harder for her to find release.

“God, Kuroo, you feel so good.” She whined. She kept one arm wrapped around his neck and used the other to prop herself up on her elbow on the bar behind her to hold some of her weight so Kuroo wouldn’t have to hold her up the entire time as he had been. Leaning back allowed her to watch herself be split open on his cock, glistening with her arousal. The sight only made her gush more while she threw her head back. 

He grunted in agreement before leaning forward to nuzzle his nose to her face. “You better not ghost me again, it was torture not being able to see you for over a week.”

“I won’t.” She promised breathily. “I promise.”

“Good.” Kuroo pulled out and pinched her lips together before she got the chance to protest. Grabbing her waist, he spun her around and lifted her so she stood on the chair rail at the bottom of the bar, placing her at almost the right height to enter her from behind. He placed one hand on the back of her neck and pushed her flat on the bar top. “Because if I have to go without this again, I think I might die.”

Nozomi was only able to gasp as he thrust into her again and set a brutal pace, done with the tender lovemaking they had been partaking in before. He gripped one of her hips tightly in his hand, holding her still against his onslaught while his other hand reached around and began rubbing tight circles on her clit. He wanted her to get off quickly, that was clear, and she wasn’t about to complain. Working against the height difference of fucking on a bar had already worn her out, she was ready to go upstairs where they could go to her bed and be comfortable. 

The muffled sound of Kuroo’s hips slapping against hers filled the empty bar. Her fingers attempted to dig into the bar to grip onto something to help ground her, but the polished wood offered no anchor. She gripped Kuroo’s arm instead, her nails digging into his skin until he hissed and removed his fingers from her clit. She blindly rolled her hips towards him again seeking contact. 

“Draw blood and I might just have to punish you later, petal.” He emphasized this by pinching her clit causing her to howl in pleasure.

“Please.” She was only able to moan. “Feels good.” 

Kuroo chuckled and bent over her to kiss the side of her cheek. “Later.” He purred. Nozomi grabbed for his hand on her hip, lacing her fingers with his and squeezing tightly as the tension continued building in her gut with every push inside her. 

“Fuck, petal. Look at you.” He growled in her ear. He gripped her jaw and forced her to look up into the mirror behind the bar. She almost didn’t recognize herself. All her exposed skin was completely flushed, her eyes a hazy cloud of lust and her hair was mussed from Kuroo’s fingers running through it. Their eyes met in the mirror and Kuroo held her gaze while he kissed her cheek, his lips lingering on her skin. “How could I not be entirely devoted to you?

His words caused another round of tears to start, only this time they were not poisoned with the trauma of her past. They were cathartic, happy even. She knew she was safe with him. She didn’t have to worry about his true intentions, or what he really wanted from her. He was hers, wholly. Forever. 

She only lasted a few more thrusts until Kuroo’s name rang out inside the empty bar. Her walls spasmed around him, squeezing like she had never experienced as she rested her cheek against the wood trying to catch her breath. She could already feel another orgasm building at Kuroo’s thick length ramming into her. He groaned as she tightened around him and sped up, placing his hands on either side of the bar next to her for better purchase.

“Kuroo, pull out.” She panted while he continued to chase after his own orgasm, his balls slapping faster against her clit. The sensation of him fucking her raw was amazing but she didn’t want to have to go get a pill in the morning. He managed a few stuttering thrusts before he pulled out and buried his face in her neck. He sucked against her neck harshly, a groan emanating deep from his chest as his cum hit her leg. They stayed like that for a few moments, breathing in sync while they tried to recover from their climaxes. Eventually Kuroo placed a chaste neck over the bruise he made and reached over her to grab a rag from behind the bar and crouched down to clean her leg. He gently ran the cloth up her leg, following the trail with open-mouthed kisses before placing one final kiss on her ass and pulling her skirt back into place. 

“I’ll get you new panties.” He told her when she stood on wobbling legs to face him as he tucked himself back into his pants. 

“Those are the least of my concerns right now.” Nozomi wrapped her arms around his neck, to be close and also for support. “Take me upstairs and do that again.”

Kuroo grinned and swept his arm under her legs to lift her bridal-style. He started to lean in to kiss her but his eyes caught something over her shoulder. “I think we’ll have to clean before we do that.”

“What?” She follows his gaze to the bar. Her eyes widened seeing distinct handprints on the top, as well as a faint outline of her breasts made by the sweat that had soaked through her shirt. She couldn’t help but laugh seeing it. 

“Kanna is going to kill us if she finds out.” Nozomi smiled. Kuroo laughed with her and pressed a gentle kiss to the tip of her nose. 

“A secret just for us, then.” He murmured. 

“Just for us.” 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Until next time~


End file.
